Trolley-track



(No Mod-e1.)

W. H. BRODIE.

y TROLLEY TRACK.

Patented Nov. 28, 1893.

u ll/'z'W/eyfefd y MMX UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. BRODIE, OF BROOKLYN, N EWYORK.

TRO LLEY-TRAC K.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 509,650, dated November 28,1893.

v Application iiled September 2, 1893. Serial No. 484,619. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. BRODIE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley-Tracks, of which the following is a specilication.

My invention relates to overhead trolleytracks, and particularly to that class of such tracks as employ a tubular track or way made up of sections, placed end-to end and formed from sheet or plate steel, such as the well known Coburn track, for example; and the object of the invention is to provide a suspending bracket to support the sections of the track at their abutting ends and lock and clamp them fast. As the sections of this form of track are made from rather thin plate, they are apt to be slightly warped or bent so that it is difficult to t them together in the bracket in such a manner as to avoid a jog or shoulder at the'junction and these inequalities produce a rough, noisy track for the trolley. 'Io obviate this difficulty I provide means for clamping, locking and pressing down the ends of the section in the supporting bracket as will be hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings which serve to illustrate my invention-Figure l is a vertical, longitudinal mid-section of one of the brackets and parts of the two abutting tracksections therein, the plane of the section being indicated by line 1, 1, in Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same taken in the plane indicated by line 2, 2, in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a plan of the bracket. Fig. 4 shows the clamping and locking plate in plan and side elevation, detached. Fig. 5 is a plan View of the ends of two adjacent sections of 4o -the track, showing the slots or elongated aperto the shape of the track and embraces the ends of the same, as seen in Fig. 2. The lower edges b2 of the portion b are hollowed out to receive the inwardly curved portions a of the track, and in order to provide a smooth way for the trolley and prevent vibration, it is essential that these portions of the track shall lit down snugly in the hollow of the bracket; and to attain this end the opening in the bracket is made somewhat deeper, measured vertically, than the depth of the track, so that the latter may be entered freely, and a clamping and locking plate, c, (seen detached in Fig. 4) is mounted in arecess, b3, formed in the inner face of the crownplate of the bracket so that it may rest on the crown-plates of the track-sections a and a", as clearly shown in Fig. 1. This plate c has on its lower face two short locking studs, c', which enter apertures or slots, a2, in the crown-plates of the track-sections, when in place. The plate c is pressed down upon the track-sections, and they are pressedthereby down firmly in the bracket, by means of a stout screw d, whichscrews through the crownplate of the bracket and bears on the clamping plate c. The slots a2 permit of longitudinal expansion and contraction of the tracksections, and the studs c serve to lock and hold the said sections in place. It there is a tendency in one of the sections tospring up above the level of the other at their adjacent abutting ends, the devices described will prevent this. In a track constructed in this manner the trolleys will move along almost noiselessly and without obstruction or jar. I have shown the ianges b on the bracket as projecting in a longitudinal direction with respect to the track merely because, in most cases, these brackets will be secured to the lower face of a comparatively narrow beam, rv, suspended by hangers from the ceiling of a room; but these flanges may as well extend laterally, or transversely to the axis of the track, especially if the beams which support the track extend transversely thereof. To prevent the plate c from falling out when the track-sections are removed, it is, by preference provided with two pins, c2, which project upwardly through holes in the crownplate of the bracket and have heads or en- IOO 4sections in the bracket, and a screw d, set in the crown-plate of the bracket over the plate c, substantially as set forth.

2. In an overhead trolley-track, the combination with a bracket B, provided with attaching anges, and a pendent portion which embraces the abutting track-sections, ot' the said track-sections provided with apertures a2 in their crowns, the locking and clamping plate c,0ccupying a recess in the crown-plate of the bracket and provided with locking studs c', adapted to enter the apertures a2 in the track-sections when the latter are in place, and the clamping screw d, set in the crownplate of the bracket over the plate c, substantially as set forth.

3. In an overhead trolley-track made up of sections of tubular track, as set forth, the combination with a track-embracing supporting bracket B, provided with a clamping screw d set in its crown-plate, of the clamping plate c, occupying a recess in the bracket under said screw d, and provided with headed retaining pins c2, fixed in the plate c and adapted to playin apertures in the crownplate of the bracket, substantially as shown and described.

In witnessl whereof I have hereunto signed my naine in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM H. BRODIE. Witnesses:

HENRY CONNETT, JAMES K. DUFFY. 

